lindner



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A."E. 'LINDNBR. CIRCULAR WARP KNITTING MACHINE. No. 606,353. Patented June 28,1898.

Nl/ENTOR B) ATTOHN YS.

W/T/VESSES. I 3 M m (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. E. LINDNER.

GIRGULAR WARP KNITTINGMAGHINE.

No. 606,353. Patented June 28, 1898.

lNVENTOI? (No Model.) 4 S11eets'Sheet B. A. E. LINDNER.

CIRCULAR WARP KNITTING MACHINE. No. 606,353. Patented June 28,1898.

4 Sheets-Sheet. 4.

(No Model.)

A E LIN DNER CIRCULAR WARPKNITTING MACHINE.

No. 606,353. Patented June 28,1898.

WITNESSES:

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ARTHUR E. LINDNER, OF VILMINGTON, DELAWARE, ASSIGNOR TO JULIUS KAYSER, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

CIRCU L AR-WARP-KNITTIN G MACHIN E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 606,353, dated June 28, 1 898. Application filed September 4, 1893. Renewed January 12, 1898. Serial No. [366,476. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern. 7

Be it known that I, ARTHUR E. LINDNER, a citizen of the Empire of Germany, residing in WVilmington, in the county of New Castle and State of Delaware, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circular-lvarp' Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention relates to certain improve- 1o ments in circular-warp-knitting machines by which the construction of these machines is considerably simplified and the same enabled to be run at a greater speed than the ordinary straight-warp-knittin g machines, so that knitr 5 ted fabrics known as Milanaise fabrics can be produced at a considerably smaller expense than 011 the straight-warp-knitting machines; and the invention consists in its general outlines of a series of reciprocating me dles, the shanks of which are guided by stationary needle-guides and'operated in connection with oscillating pre'ssers above the needles and stationary sinkers below the same and with two series of oscillating thread- 2 5 guides which are supported by fulcrumed guide-carriers on guide-rings to which an intermittent or step-by-step rotary motion in opposite directionsto each other is imparted. The invention consists, further, of means by which the required motionis imparted to the different parts described and mainly to the reciprocating needles and oscillating thread-guides,while the needle-guides, press ers, and sinkers are supported in a stationary 5 position relatively to the needles and thread guides without receiving any positive motion from the driving-shaft of the machine, as will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims. v

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical central section of my improved circular-warp-knitting machine on line 1 1, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, on line 2 '2, Fig. 1,.showing the mechanism for iimpartingintermittent rotary motion to the guideways. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the eccentric and frame by which motion is imparted to the parts that impart intermittent or step-by-step motion to the guideways of the thread-guides. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of a portion of the machine,

showing the eccentrics by which motion is imparted to the reciprocating needles and the threadguide-supporting rings, to which rotary motion isimparted in opposite directions. Figs. 4, 5, andG are detail sectional views showing the different positions of the thread-guides relatively to the needle s,'sinkers, and pressers; and Fig. 7 is a detail elea.

vation of a portion of the circumference of the needles, presser, and sinker.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts in all the figures.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the supporting-frame of my improved circularwarp-knitting machine. The frame A 0011- sists of a tubular center pillar a, having an enlarged cylindrical top part a, a circular bottom part a and an exterior ring-shaped base-frame a as shown in Fig. 1. The frame A is constructed of metal and made in such dimensions as to support on the same the different Working parts of the machine. A vertical driving-shaft 13 is supported in a stepbearing of the bottom part 0. and in neckbearings of the enlarged top part a, said shaft receiving rotary motion by intermediate bevel-wheelsb b from a horizontal shaft B, which latter is supportedin bearings b b, that are attached to the'enlarged top part a. The enlarged top part a is provided with outwardly-projecting circumferential flanges a and a in which radial ways are arranged for guiding the horizontal needle-carriers C of the needles 0. The entire series of needles 0 is arranged radially around the enlarged top part a between the horizontal guideflanges a and a and are preferably arranged in groups, each group being supported by a needle-carrier 0'. Each needle-carrier C is provided with a shank C the shanks of three adjacent carriers being preferably coupled together by a transverse strap 0 that is at tached by a sleeve to the shank of the central carrier and to the shank of each adjacent carr-ier, as shown clearly in Fig; 3.. The longer shanks C of the central carriers 0 are guided in suitable keepers G and hinged at their inner ends to the looselysliding straps O of eccentrics Cflwhieh are keyed to the driving-shaft C, said. eccentrics being superposed one above the other on said shaft.

The longer shanks O of the needle-carriers are bent or made angular, so as to be connected to their corresponding eccentrics, whereby a positive horizontal reciprocating motion is imparted to the needle-carriers and the needles supported in the same. As many eccentrics G are arranged on the shaft B as there are connected groups of needle-carriers, each group of three being acted upon by its eccentric once at each rotation of the shaft B.

Each rotation of the driving-shaft B imparts,

therefore, a horizontal reciprocating motion to all the needle-carriers of the machine.

The needles employed are preferably the well-known bearded needles having grooves in their shanks for receiving the beards of the needles when they are pressed down. The shanks of the needles are inserted into leads which are secured in any approved manner to the needle-carriers.

To the outer circumferential flange a is attached by suitable screws (:1 a ring D, which is provided with a downwardly-extending flange cl, to which as many needle-guides D are attached as there are needles. The needle-guides D serve to separate the shanks of the needles from each other and to guide the same during their reciprocating motions. The downwardly-projecting circumferential flange d of the ring D is provided with projecting studs or cars (1 to which the downwardly-inclined pressers E are pivoted. A

presser E is arranged for each group of needles supported in a needle-carrier, the lower ends of the pressers being beveled or rounded off, so that the beards of the needles can pass readily below the same. A gradually increasing pressure is imparted to the beards of the needles by the rounded-off ends of the pressers as the needles are moved in inward direction, so that the beards are pressed into the grooves in the shanks of the needles.

Below the needles are arranged the sinkers F, which are arranged in sections F, correspondin g to the groups of needles and pressers, said sections forming together a sinkerring that extends concentrically around the needle-guides, the nibs of the sinkers being located between the shanks of the needles and intermediately between the pressers and the lower parts of the needle-guides, as shown clearly in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. The sinker-ring has as many sinkers as there are needles in the machine. The sinker-sections F are attached to a separate ring-shaped frame F which is supported by pillars F on the cylindrical base part a as shown in Figs. 1 and 7. The needle-guides, pressers, and sinkers are arranged stationary relative to the needlesthat is to say, no positive motion is imparted to the same from the driving-shaft B, while a certain degree of oscillating motion is imparted to the pressers in following the inward motion of the needles and aslight vibratory motion to the sinkers, so that they yield somewhat to the inward motion of the needles.

' ring, as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3.

Outside of and concentric with the needles, pressers, and sinkers are arranged two series of thread-guides G, of which two are arranged for each reciprocating needle 0 on the ends of carriers g, which are fulcrumed to lugs g on horizontal guide rings G. The guiderings G are provided with dovetailed grooves on the 'under side and are guided on ringshaped and dovetailed ways 9 which are arranged on the upper surface of a ring-shaped supporting-frame G G is mounted 011 suitable pillars G of the outer ring-shaped part a of the supportingframe A, as shown in Fig. 1. The outer circumference of the inner guide-rin g G and the inner circumference of the outer guide-ring G are provided with ratchet-teeth, of which the teeth of the inner ring are inclined in an opposite direction to the teeth of theouter The number of teeth of the guide-rings G corresponds to the number of needles with which the machine is provided, the relative size of the teeth being such that they impart, when engaged by pawls 9 an intermittent or stepby-step motion to the guide-rings G and the thread-guides G in an opposite direction to each other, so that the thread guides are moved from one needle to the next one, and so on all around the machine. The pawls g by which intermittent or step-by-step motion is imparted to the guide-rings G, are applied to short cranks g which are located above the supporting-frame G and keyed to vertical rods 9*, which are passed through the frame G its ends being supported in bearings of the supporting-frame G and the circular part a of the frame A.

To the lower end of each vertical rod g is applied a crank which is engaged by a pivot-pin g at the outer end of a diametrical rod g that is permanently attached to an oblong frame g which surrounds an eccentric g", which is keyed to the vertical driving-shaft B, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. At each rotation of the shaft B the eccentric g and the intermediate mechanism operated thereby operate the pawls at diametrically opposite points of the guide-rings G and move the same for the distance of one tooth in opposite direction to each other, so as to shift the position of the upper and lower threadrguides relatively to each other and the needles. The direction of motion of the guide-rings G is indicated by arrows in Figs. 2 and 3. The pawls g are held in engagement with the racks on the guide-rin gs G by springs g the pawls being moved from one tooth to the other by the action of the intermediate mechanism described.

The threads are supplied to the thread guides G from bobbins or spools M, which are suspended, respectively, from the inner and outer guide-rings G, as shown in Fig. 1. The threads are guided in suitable manner over the guide-carriers to the thread-guides and from the same to the reciprocating needles.

The supporting-frame IIO The bobbins are rotated with the guide-rings G as they are suspended from the same.

Besides the shifting motion that is imparted at each rotation of the driving-shaft B to the upper and lower thread-guides in an opposite direction to each other, the thread-guides receive at each rotation of the shaft B also a vertically-oscillating motion, so as to move past the needles and cross the threads supplied to the needles. This vertically-oscillating motion of the thread-guides G is produced by a lifting-ring I1,which is preferably formed of sections that are intermittently actuated by vertically-guided lifting rods or stickers h, the lower ends of which rest on the eccentrics h, arranged on the outer ends of shafts 7L2, the inner ends of which are provided with bevel pinions 7L3, that mesh with a bevelwheel h on the driving-shaft B, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The shafts 762 are arranged in radial direction to the shaft B and supported in suitable bearings of the bottom part a of the frame A; One-half of the radial shafts 7L2 are driven by the larger bevel-wheel 7r,-

. tated at the same speed during the rotation of the shaft B. On the lifting-ring H, that is located between the guide-rings G, rest the rear ends of the fulcrumed guide-carriers g, so that by lifting the rear ends of said carriers the front ends ofthe same and the threadguides are oscillated, so as to assume successively the positions toward the needles shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6.

My improved warp-knitting machine is operated as follows: The needles are moved in outward direction into position to receive the thread, in which position the thread-guides G are both above the needles, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4c. The guide-rings are then moved by means of the rack-and-pawl mechanism for the distance of one tooth, whereby the thread-guides are shifted horizontally in opposite directions, this movement laying the threads in opposite directions across the needles. Then by the action of the lifting-rings II the thread-guides are moved downward in vertical direction, passing between the needles and assuming the position below the needles, as shown in Fig. 5. The threads are then in position for the formation of loops. The needles then begin their inward movement, and the beards of the needles pass over said thread and then engage the pressers E, whereby their points are depressed into the grooves of the shanks of the needles.- The loops of the fabric already formed are prevented from being carried inward on thencedles by contact with the needle-guides D, and the depressed barbs of the needles enter the last-formed loops, which are at the top of the fabric already formed, and draw the threads held in the barbs through said loops, the loops riding over the top of the barbs. As the outer ends of the barbed needles pass the sinkers F said upper series of loops are cast off from'the needle-barbs by the sinkers and said loops fall over the threads which are stretched between the barbs and the spools, and new loops are thereby formed. During the latter part of the inward movement of the needles and the first part of the outward movement thereof the yarnguides. rise between the needles and assume position above said needles, as shown in Fig. 4, preparatory to the formation of the next stitches. The yielding pressers enable the machine to be operated rapidly without breakage of the barbs of the needles.

- In my improved circular-warp-knitting ma chine the horizontal reciprocation of the needles and the ascending and descending motion of the thread-guides, as well as the shifting motion imparted to the thread-guides by the intermittently-rotating guide-rings, are imparted by comparatively simple transmit ting mechanism from the central driving-shaft of the machine. During the motions of the needles and thread-guides the needle-guides and sinkers are held in stationary position relatively to the same, while the action of the pressers takes place automatically in following the outward and inward motion of the needles. As the sinkers and pressers receive no positive motion from the driving shaft of the machine, no mechanisms are required for operating the same. As the sinkers are located below the needles and pressers, the knitted fabric is in view and any defect can be readily ascertained and the cause removed.

The machine can consequently be run at high speed, so that a larger quantity of warp fabric can be knit on the same in a given time than on the straight-warp-knitting machines and the circular-warp-knittin g machines here tofore in use.

lclaim 1. The combinationof reciprocating needles, stationary needle guides, oscillating pressers above the needles, stationary sinkers below the needles, thread-guides, and means for oscillating and intermittently shifting said thread-guides, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of reciprocating needles, stationary guides for the same, yielding pressers above the needles, stationary sinkers supported below the needles, thread-guides, and means for oscillating and intermittently shifting said thread-guides, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of reciprocating nee dles,stationary needle-guides,pressers hinged to said needle-guides above the needles, sta tionary sinkers supported below the needles, thread-guides, and means for oscillating and intermittently shifting said thread-guides, substantially as set forth.

t. The combination of reciprocating needles,stationaryneedle-guides,pressers hinged to the needle-guides above the needles, stationary sinkers located below the needles and between the needle-guides and pressers, two sets of thread-guides, and means for oscillating and intermittently shifting said threadguides, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of reciprocating needles,stationaryneedle-guides,pressers hinged to the needle-guides above the needles, stationary sinkers located below the needles, two sets of thread-guides, mechanism for imparting an intermittent or step-by-step rotary motion to said thread-guides in opposite directions to each other, and mechanism for imparting oscillating motion to said threadguides, substantially as set forth. I

6. The combination of reciprocating knitting-needles, stationary needle-guides, pressers hinged to the needle-guides above the needles, said pressers having beveled or roundedoff ends adapted to press the beards of the needles, sinkers below the needles, two sets of thread-guides, and means for oscillating and intermittently shifting said thread-guides, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a cylindrical supporting-frame having circumferential flanges, needle-carriers guided between said flanges, means for reciprocating said needle-carriers, a set of needles in said carriers, stationary needle-guides supported in the top flange of the supporting-frame, pressers hinged to the needle-guides, one for each needle-carrier, sinkers below the needles, a stationary sinkerring for supporting the sinkers,thread-guides, and means for oscillating and intermittently shifting said thread-guides, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of a cylindrical supporting-frame having circumferential flanges,

needle-carriers guided between said flanges, a set of needles supported in said carriers, radial shanks applied to said carriers, means for guiding said shanks, a central drivingshaft, eccentrics on said shaft, and loose straps on said eccentrics, the shanks being connected With said straps so that a positive reciprocating motion is imparted to the needle-carriers, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of reciprocating nee dles, stationary needle guides, oscillating pressers above the needles, stationary sinkers below the needles, two sets of threadguides, guide-rin gs in which the thread-guides are mounted, means for imparting intermittently or step-by-step rotary motion to said guiderings in opposite directions to each other, and mechanism for imparting an oscillating motion to said thread-guides, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination of reciprocating needles, stationary needle guides, oscillating pressers applied to the needle-guides above the needles, sinkers located below the needles, two sets of thread-guides, carriers for said thread-guides, guide-rings on which said carriers are mounted, means for imparting an intermittent rotary motion in opposite directions to said guide-rim gs, a liftin g-ring en gaging the ends of the thread-guide carriers, and means for intermittently raising the liftingring for si multaneously oscillating the threadguides, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR E. LINDNER.

Witnesses:

PAUL GoEPEL, CHARLES SCHROEDER. 

